Favourite Christmas Carol.

LordSutch

What's you favourite top five (or top ten) Christmas carols?

Too many to put in a poll.



Here's a few of mine to kick off ...

In The Bleak Midwinter
O Holy Night
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Away In A Manger
The Holly And The Ivy
Coventry Carol
Sussex Carol

uck51js9zml2yt

The original of hark the herald angels.
Especially when it gets to the line "he came to give them second birth"

looksee

Cradled in a manger, meanly:

Cradled in a manger, meanly,
Laid the Son of Man His head;
Sleeping His first earthly slumber
Where the oxen had been fed.
Happy were those shepherds listening
To the holy angel's word;
Happy they within that stable
Worshipping their infant Lord.

Happy all who hear the message
Of His coming from above;
Happier still who hail His coming,
And with praises greet His love.
Blessed Savior, Christ most holy,
In a manger Thou didst rest;
Canst Thou stoop again, yet lower,
And abide within my breast?

Evil things are there before Thee;
In the heart, where they have fed,
Wilt Thou pitifully enter,
Son of Man, and lay Thy head?
Enter, then, O Christ most holy;
Make a Christmas in my heart;
Make a heaven of my manger:
It is heaven where Thou art.

And to those who never listened
To the message of Thy birth,
Who have winter, but no Christmas
Bringing them Thy peace on earth,
Send to these the joyful tidings;
By all people, in each home,
Be there heard the Christmas anthem;
Praise to God, the Christ has come!

Especially the last verse. I can happily ignore the contradiction of being an atheist and liking this carol.

Manach

Back when Classic TV was running this was a favourite:

Thinkingaboutit

LordSutch

'See amid the winter snow'

https://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiT6YGi-P_QAhUrAcAKHbDoCWYQyCkIIjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8TjM-Ih5LP4&usg=AFQjCNGHeUxRo_oA7kht3g08ThWGdo8izQ

Hesh's Umpire

I heard "Gaudete" last night. Very unusual, chant like piece of music.

And (according to Wikipedia) the Steeleye Span version of it is one of only three top 50 British hits to be sung fully in Latin.

silverharp

I heard this at a Christmas concert in Christ Church a couple of weeks back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PN58SsKnBWk

GalwayGrrrrrl

http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy29mQfiavg

Not sure if this counts as a carol exactly but it's a beautiful song about the arrival of Christ. Another favourite is Josephs lullaby.

If I had to chose a classic I'd go with O Come Emmanuel.

lmaopml

This is the song that is going through my head this year...It's a favourite for sure. Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah

Nick Park

I love 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing' due to its strong doctrinal statements. It really is the Gospel in song.

But probably my favourite Christmas Carol is 'O Holy Night' due to its history. The words were originally written by a French atheist wineshop owner at the request of the local parish priest. Its lyrics were pretty anti-clerical, imagining how different the world would look if the Church had been more faithful to the ideal of Christ come in human flesh, rather than siding with political power and conservatism. This caused the song to be neglected due to official disapproval.

But during the campaign in North America for the abolition of slavery, led mainly by committed Christians, the song was revived and turned into an anti-slavery anthem (the words 'the slave is my brother' fitted in very well with abolitionist rhetoric). It went on to become a hugely popular Christmas Carol to this day.

KatyMac

Once in royal David's city

Jellybaby1

xfactorfan23 wrote: »

http://https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy29mQfiavg

Not sure if this counts as a carol exactly but it's a beautiful song about the arrival of Christ. Another favourite is Josephs lullaby.

If I had to chose a classic I'd go with O Come Emmanuel.

No, I can't chose one Carol above another, it's too hard. But I watched the video above and loved it. Thanks for that.

byhookorbycrook

I quite like the Wexford Carol
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDuESZKZ57Y

And this one, with the Voice Squad
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDnWw6jQDtQ

O Holy Night gets me every time as does Adeste sang in Latin.